The Birth of a Pumpkin Spice

Pumpkin flovouring originated as a combination of warming fall spices often used to flavor pumpkin pie. The traditional pumpkin pie spice blend contains cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. Food companies started experimenting with adding this blend to various foods and beverages as early as the 1930s. However, it was not until the mid-1990s that pumpkin flovouring became mainstream.

Starbucks Launches the Craze

In 2003, Starbucks released its first pumpkin flovouring latte just before the fall season. The drink was an instant success and the company sold nearly 200 million pumpkin flovouring lattes that year alone. Seeing the financial opportunity, Starbucks continued releasing its pumpkin drinks earlier each year. By popularizing the flavor in their cafes and drinks, Starbucks is largely credited with introducing Pumpkin Spice flovouring to the masses and kicking off the annual pumpkin flovouring craze.

 Expanding Beyond Lattes

Emboldened by Starbucks' tremendous pumpkin flovouring sales, other food companies quickly began developing their own pumpkin flovouring products. In the early 2000s, brands launched pumpkin flovouring muffins, breads, oatmeal, granola, popcorn, and more. Grocery stores started dedicating more shelf space to the seasonal items. By 2010, pumpkin had overtaken apple as the number one flavor for pies. More novelty items entered the market like pumpkin flovouring lip balm, soap, and candles. The trend continued gaining momentum with each fall season.

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